Patent GB-1308451-A (GB)
Title: Blood flow measurement
IPC: A61B8/06
Filed: 1969-03-05
Abstract: 1308451 Recording apparatus: frequency analysis: Measuring areas NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP 4 March 1970 [5 March 1969] 11825/69 Headings G1J G1U G1X [Also in Division H4] In an ultrasonic Doppler system for measuring blood flow velocity transcutaneously the Doppler signal is processed to give simultaneous further signals respectively representing the received ultrasonic energy in each of several discrete Doppler-shift frequency ranges, and there is displayed at least that one of the further signals which has the maximum instantaneous rate of decrease in value with increasing frequency. The latter signal is considered to represent the flow in a major blood vessel, e.g. the aorta or pulmonary artery. A transmit/receive probe(Fig.4) comprising piezo-electric transducers 10 in a liquid-filled housing 8 has a sound-collimating tube 9 sealed at 12 by a thin rubber membrane for contacting a patient's chest. Tube 9 is telescopic to vary the collimation and neoprene 13 absorbs spurious sound reflections. Doppler signal analysis and recording:- Doppler signals are extracted by heterodyning the probe's transmitted and received signals. The Doppler spectrum is analysed by a set of narrowband filters whose outputs feed respective channels of a recording system. In the Fig.5 system for recording on an electro-sensitive chart 28 the recording channels energize respective cathode electrodes in an array 23 resiliently supported by hinged platen 19. These electrodes are the exposed ends of flexible "printed-circuit" conductors 22 embedded in an insulating material. When lid 18 is lowered, platen 19 drops and chart 29 is sandwiched between electrode array 23 and a common anode electrode. As the common anode erodes in use, even erosion is attained by forming the anode as a rotating stainless steel band 25 (or as a second array of electrodes drivable "end-on" towards array 23). In each individual recording channel (Fig.6) a capacitor C1 is rapidly switched between being charged by the rectified output of its associated narrow-band filter and being discharged via R1. Comparator C provides a given output voltage, which energizes one of the cathode electrodes 23, while the capacitor C1 voltage is above a threshold value. The comparator output thus has a mark/space ratio dependent on the amplitude of the filter output. The record produced (Fig.1b) representing two heart beats is a plot of frequency against time, with amplitude represented by a dot distribution. The given output voltage of the comparator C may be adjusted to vary the constrast ratio. A region of the record in which amplitude decreases with increasing Doppler frequency shift is characteristic of blood vessel condition, a relatively rapid decrease of amplitude (Fig.1c) characterising an un-constricted vessel. Volume flow of the blood is represented by the area under the curve in the Fig.1b record. To assess this area, a conductive line is drawn along the curve. The record is then "played-back" by running it through the Fig. 5 apparatus so that the conductive line is sensed by the electrodes 23. Each electrode 23 controls a respective bi-stable circuit which is thus "set" by the sensing of the leading curve boundary and "reset" by the trailing curve boundary. Outputs of the bi-stable circuits are integrated to give a value representing the area under the curve. In various modifications a third frequency may be heterodyned with the transmitted and received frequencies to give an indication of flow direction, digital frequency filtering may be used, or the recording apparatus may, be of the pen type or xerographic type or replaced by a programmed computer for identifying rapid rates of change of signal amplitude with frequency shift.